Battenberg Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics...Wellworths.html I'm not sure if they could have thought of a more suitable name. Willitworths, Isitworths, Willitwork.... For those mourning the loss of pick and mix, a trip to Dorset should get you sorted. Looks like they'll still be selling the same old tat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbn Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Some of the stores were probably doing OK. If she managed this particular one then she would know if it was turning a profit of not - so good luck to her I say Mine's a quarter of liqorice Comfits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirge Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 local business venture not tied to a global monster. loyal staff given their jobs back, where's the bad news? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilf Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Some of the stores were probably doing OK. If she managed this particular one then she would know if it was turning a profit of not - so good luck to her I sayMine's a quarter of liqorice Comfits Indeed the failure of Woolworths was at the company level. They had a reputation for selling all sorts of rubbish and I'm sure as the store manager she will have known which areas did well and those which did not. I'd imagine stuff like DVD's/CD's etc were dragging the profits down, dump those and keep the stuff that the punters were actually buying. As a business that would have been difficult for Woolworths to do, but as an independent it's not an issue. In fact that is what has happened locally to me, the three Woolworths I did visit, Orpington, Balham and Eltham have all been taken over by "99p Store" and it's pretty much that, all the same tat Woolworths used to sell minus the DVD's/CD's/Computer games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Melchett Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Wellworths has been around for some time - I first encountered them in Northern Ireland about 25 years ago. They are also, in their layout, stock and general ambience, almost but not quite Woolworths. Maybe they are just expanding into the gap in the market? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patfig Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Good on them!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Financial Hack Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Indeed the failure of Woolworths was at the company level. They had a reputation for selling all sorts of rubbish and I'm sure as the store manager she will have known which areas did well and those which did not. I'd imagine stuff like DVD's/CD's etc were dragging the profits down, dump those and keep the stuff that the punters were actually buying. As a business that would have been difficult for Woolworths to do, but as an independent it's not an issue. In fact that is what has happened locally to me, the three Woolworths I did visit, Orpington, Balham and Eltham have all been taken over by "99p Store" and it's pretty much that, all the same tat Woolworths used to sell minus the DVD's/CD's/Computer games. Indeed. I remember going in there in their 'amazing' closing down sale and they were still selling Halo 3 for £39.99. They had 25% off but that's still rubbish as I could get it online for £14.99. Has anyone noticed that Wilkinsons basically does what Woolworths used to do? Selling all your basic household and garden items at a reasonable cost. You have to wonder why Woolworths abandoned that concept to start selling TVs, DVDs, clothing and board games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pootle Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Wellworths has been around for some time - I first encountered them in Northern Ireland about 25 years ago. They are also, in their layout, stock and general ambience, almost but not quite Woolworths. Maybe they are just expanding into the gap in the market? There used to be a Woolworth's and a Wellworth's within 2 doors of each other here. Wellworth's was actually a proper supermarket that sold groceries. It closed down years ago leaving Woolworth's peddling useless tat. A microcosm of the British economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinking Feeling Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 local business venture not tied to a global monster. loyal staff given their jobs back, where's the bad news? Gordon Brown has offered his support! Only kidding, but that seems to be the kiss of death for any venture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Melchett Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 There used to be a Woolworth's and a Wellworth's within 2 doors of each other here. Wellworth's was actually a proper supermarket that sold groceries. It closed down years ago leaving Woolworth's peddling useless tat. A microcosm of the British economy. You're right there: Just my distant and inadequate memory making them more similar in my mind than they probably were. Is Wellworths 2009 the same outfit as we both remember? Seems to have a really low profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinking Feeling Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Indeed. I remember going in there in their 'amazing' closing down sale and they were still selling Halo 3 for £39.99. They had 25% off but that's still rubbish as I could get it online for £14.99.Has anyone noticed that Wilkinsons basically does what Woolworths used to do? Selling all your basic household and garden items at a reasonable cost. You have to wonder why Woolworths abandoned that concept to start selling TVs, DVDs, clothing and board games. No doubt they got a new chief executive who decided to take the brand 'up market'! I've seen it happen time and time again in companies that have been trading profitably - a new person comes in (probably with an MBA from Cambridge) who doesn't understand the business model and runs it into the ground through their 'improvements'! Woolworths started originally as a 3d and 6d shop following the five & dime model in the States - a modern equivalent would be a £1 & £2 shop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone baby gone Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Wellworths has been around for some time - I first encountered them in Northern Ireland about 25 years ago. They are also, in their layout, stock and general ambience, almost but not quite Woolworths. Maybe they are just expanding into the gap in the market? This is an entirely new enterprise as I understand it, so any similarity to another "Wellworths" is purely coincidental. I wish them good luck, this is a positive story about people taking the initiative and hopefully making a success of things where corporate chain retailers have failed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotNoodle Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 In fact that is what has happened locally to me, the three Woolworths I did visit, Orpington, Balham and Eltham have all been taken over by "99p Store" and it's pretty much that, all the same tat Woolworths used to sell minus the DVD's/CD's/Computer games. That was how Woolworths began. "Everything for sixpence". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cogs Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Has anyone noticed that Wilkinsons basically does what Woolworths used to do? Selling all your basic household and garden items at a reasonable cost. You have to wonder why Woolworths abandoned that concept to start selling TVs, DVDs, clothing and board games. Yes, much better than Woolies was for years. One of the few shops I find myself a bit of an impulse purchaser in. They have this highly unusual approach to retail: selling useful things cheaply. The complete opposite of 99% of the High Street for the last decade or so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Melchett Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 This is an entirely new enterprise as I understand it, so any similarity to another "Wellworths" is purely coincidental. Seems you're right: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellworths Crazyprices mentioned here too.... ahh, takes me back to a time my waist size was considerably smaller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Financial Hack Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Yes, much better than Woolies was for years. One of the few shops I find myself a bit of an impulse purchaser in.They have this highly unusual approach to retail: selling useful things cheaply. The complete opposite of 99% of the High Street for the last decade or so! Yup that's pretty much what it's there for. I always pop in if i'm about to bulk buy some toilet roll or cleaning stuff as it's much cheaper than the supermarket. My local one also sells beer brewing equipment for creating my delcious Financial Hack Ale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNACR Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Good luck to her, but she's going to need an awful lot of it. The fact she's taken all 22 former staff on doesn't bode at all well. She will also struggle to put together any kind of cohesive range. There are just no longer the suppliers out there who'd service the independent sector. Local people will make all manner of encouraging noises about supporting local businesses, then still go and buy it all at Tescos if it's cheaper. I hope she's not done anything daft like bet her house on this venture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pootle Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Seems you're right:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellworths Crazyprices mentioned here too.... ahh, takes me back to a time my waist size was considerably smaller. Ahahahaha! Crazyprices! A blast from the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone baby gone Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 (edited) Good luck to her, but she's going to need an awful lot of it.The fact she's taken all 22 former staff on doesn't bode at all well. She will also struggle to put together any kind of cohesive range. There are just no longer the suppliers out there who'd service the independent sector. Local people will make all manner of encouraging noises about supporting local businesses, then still go and buy it all at Tescos if it's cheaper. I hope she's not done anything daft like bet her house on this venture. Well, she already has quite a bit of publicity - Woolworths could only manage this much press coverage by going bust! Chris Evans is helping her here of course. Edited March 11, 2009 by redalert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootfair Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Yes, we were talking about that. Wilkinsons is very good at gauging customer sentiment.. They supply for every trend, gardening, cooking, even grates for coal fires and coal scuttles. Pretty good quality and price in the main as well.. I was shocked at one of the local Wilkinsons - it even has a dedicated help desk where a member of staff, given responsibility for a particular department, and therefore knowledgeable, will take you to the items you want! Seems they even gauged the customers' desire to return to 1956 style shopping :-) They are one store that seems reasonably busy. They win largely because they seem to stock a lot of household items that strike you as both useful and cheap as you wander round. so you buy more than you planned... Can you buy shares in them? I think they will do ok. Has anyone noticed that Wilkinsons basically does what Woolworths used to do? Selling all your basic household and garden items at a reasonable cost. You have to wonder why Woolworths abandoned that concept to start selling TVs, DVDs, clothing and board games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadman Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 What a lovely story. Look at all those excited people grabbing easter eggs under the watchful eye of a security guard. He's even wired! Looks expensive. I wonder how long it'll be before we get the report that it's gone into administration? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNACR Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Yes, we were talking about that. Wilkinsons is very good at gauging customer sentiment..They supply for every trend, gardening, cooking, even grates for coal fires and coal scuttles. Pretty good quality and price in the main as well.. I was shocked at one of the local Wilkinsons - it even has a dedicated help desk where a member of staff, given responsibility for a particular department, and therefore knowledgeable, will take you to the items you want! Seems they even gauged the customers' desire to return to 1956 style shopping :-) They are one store that seems reasonably busy. They win largely because they seem to stock a lot of household items that strike you as both useful and cheap as you wander round. so you buy more than you planned... Can you buy shares in them? I think they will do ok. You can't buy shares they're privately owned. They're not without issues they've expanded very rapidly in recent years. I wouldn't share your view on quality. I would say everything other than branded products is tat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spivT Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Good luck to her, but she's going to need an awful lot of it.The fact she's taken all 22 former staff on doesn't bode at all well. She will also struggle to put together any kind of cohesive range. There are just no longer the suppliers out there who'd service the independent sector. Local people will make all manner of encouraging noises about supporting local businesses, then still go and buy it all at Tescos if it's cheaper. I hope she's not done anything daft like bet her house on this venture. +1. I'm really surprised she didn't downsize the venture staffing wise. Obviously feels confident in the continued success of the store as an independent business.....can you get better due diligance than having been the manager for years ? or like others, is she underestimating the severity of the global economic slump, and the psychological impact of debt deflation ? i guess no-one would get out of bed if they knew the reality. either way good luck to her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crispindry Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Local people will make all manner of encouraging noises about supporting local businesses, then still go and buy it all at Tescos if it's cheaper. High street stores, nail and head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Indeed. Save the high street is easy. Close tescos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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